Originally posted by MrsLAF:EllaW: we always buy presents for the pets and this year we have our doggy to buy for too.my parents live much closer to our new house so they will be able to come and help us lots.my husband's father is in hospital with blood clots on the lungs so he is really worried about him and wanting to go and see him, but as we are moving he doesnt know when he will get to go.i want him to go tomorrow and will just manage the move as best i can-the removal company do all the heavy lifting. i dont want him to not go and for something bad to happen.

i have well and truly had more than enough of gammy hips! am so tired from lack of sleep that once we have moved am going to have to start napping during the day just to catch up.

awww-hope alexander has an awesome first christmas-sure you'll spoil him lots! i love haivng pets and seeing them all happy and warm. both autumn and patch had been abused before we got them and its so heart warming to see how safe and warm they are.

i am also not the sort of person to do nothing and end up over doing things most of the time. i try not to let it stop me doing what i want but thats not always possible

have a lovely restful sunday honey.x

I totally agree with you, your hubby should go see his Dad. I had clots after the first surgery and they are scary and painful! Please sent him my well wishes for his Dad.

You did great giving your pets a loving home. We have adopted some of our pets as well. IT's so hard to go into a pet shelter and just pick one.

Running Mama,Butterflies are normal, as is the question "should I really do this?" I went through the same thing right before the Fulkerson osteotomy on my knee. Two years later, and I am glad I had it done. Hope I feel the same way after my hip surgery... and I hope it doesn't take 2 yrs to feel that way.

My surgeon and PT team have warned me that this will be long and challenging recovery. I can't let myself get discouraged when it is hard at first. Patience is not one of my virtues, so they are all prepared to duct tape me to a chair to keep me from doing too much too quickly.

Can't wait to hear how it goes for you. My surgery is 57 days away. So much to do before I am duct taped to a chair. Are you in that last minute panic of making sure everything is ready for the big day?

runningmama: take a few deep breaths and calm down!i know its really scary having surgery, especially the fear of the unknown, but the more tense you are the worse you will feel after.golden rule no 1: dont expect miracles the first day, and no 2: take each day as it comes.

you will get through this honey.best of luck with the surgery and look forward to hearing how you get on. (hope you have your girls well drilled in looking after mum!)lol.x

EllaW: he just spoke to his dad who is doing a lot better but is going to be in hospital until wednesday. He is going to go down as soon as we are moved and leave me to sort out the finer details and unpack. The essentials will be done as my parents are coming to help.I know-it IS so hard to choose at animal shelters as they all deserve good homes.I've always said that if i win the lottery, I will open a huge animal sanctuary for abandoned pets who can live out their days in luxury even if no one can home them (we all need a pipe dream huh??)

hope you are doing ok and not overdoing things. Our removal company are coming tomorrow so will let you know how the move goes!have a good week and hugs to Alexander!x

Anybody have experience with Dr. Chris Lehman at Kaiser in San Francisco area? I have labral tear and possible cam impingement. Recommendation based on 2 MRIs is to repair torn cartilage and possibly shave down a bit of bone that seems to impinge in the hip joint, which may have caused the tear.

BTW I had consults with each of the 3 ortho surgeons at Kaiser Northern Cal. who do arthroscopic hip procedures. I found some negative info about Dr. antounian (San Rafael), so he's out. Dr. Weiss (Walnut Creek) was great to talk to, very helpful. Dr. Lehman got thumbs-up from Dr. Thomas Sampson, who seems to be one of the leaders of this procedure in the US.

The most important thing is to get an experienced doctor who you trust completely. My daughter had surgery with dr Philippon on Thursday afternoon. Friday at 10 am she was on a stationary bike at her first PT appointment. Her second PT was Friday afternoon. By Sunday she was riding with ease at a good pace and hobbling on crutches like a pro. She is pain free most of the time, (on OxyContin) but has some pain in the early morning hours. The ice machine takes away the pain without other meds. I can't say enough about Philippon and his team. They are continually stopping by at PT to check up on their patients and give a few words of encouragement, even on Sunday. (pT is 7 days a week/ 2 x day while we're in Vail.She went into surgery knowing she had a laboral tear and possible cam and pincer impingements. We didn't even know before surgery if the labrum would be repaired or removed. She also had Pain on the outside of the hip which we assumed was just bursitis that the Dr said he would 'clean up'. It ended up that she had a laboral repair, cam and slight pincer impingement and bursitis, but they also loosened the IT band. This is why you need to trust the doctor. Even an expert like Philippon doesn't know what he will find until he looks inside your hip. You have to trust him to make whatever repairs are necessary based on his findings, while you're out. We've met several people who have had more than 2 surgeries. They come to Philippon after other doctors fail. I recommend getting a good doctor the first time.One last thing...this is physically demanding on the caretaker as well. My daughter has a CPM, ice machine, inflatable cuffs, rotational boots, and cannot move or attach herself to any them alone. It's 24 hour care, required moving heavy equipment and much bending. Make sure you hav 2 caretakers and that they can physically handle the work. I brought my housekeeper instead of my husband because he has a bad back. Good luck, and read thru all the postings before surgery - it helps to be prepared.

Originally posted by Teri Sews:Running Mama,Butterflies are normal, as is the question "should I really do this?" I went through the same thing right before the Fulkerson osteotomy on my knee. Two years later, and I am glad I had it done. Hope I feel the same way after my hip surgery... and I hope it doesn't take 2 yrs to feel that way.

My surgeon and PT team have warned me that this will be long and challenging recovery. I can't let myself get discouraged when it is hard at first. Patience is not one of my virtues, so they are all prepared to duct tape me to a chair to keep me from doing too much too quickly.

Can't wait to hear how it goes for you. My surgery is 57 days away. So much to do before I am duct taped to a chair. Are you in that last minute panic of making sure everything is ready for the big day?

Teri, I'm not known for my patience either... I guess this is a real test for me. Yikes, what a way to be tested!!

Originally posted by momofya:The most important thing is to get an experienced doctor who you trust completely. My daughter had surgery with dr Philippon on Thursday afternoon. Friday at 10 am she was on a stationary bike at her first PT appointment. Her second PT was Friday afternoon. By Sunday she was riding with ease at a good pace and hobbling on crutches like a pro. She is pain free most of the time, (on OxyContin) but has some pain in the early morning hours. The ice machine takes away the pain without other meds. I can't say enough about Philippon and his team. They are continually stopping by at PT to check up on their patients and give a few words of encouragement, even on Sunday. (pT is 7 days a week/ 2 x day while we're in Vail.She went into surgery knowing she had a laboral tear and possible cam and pincer impingements. We didn't even know before surgery if the labrum would be repaired or removed. She also had Pain on the outside of the hip which we assumed was just bursitis that the Dr said he would 'clean up'. It ended up that she had a laboral repair, cam and slight pincer impingement and bursitis, but they also loosened the IT band. This is why you need to trust the doctor. Even an expert like Philippon doesn't know what he will find until he looks inside your hip. You have to trust him to make whatever repairs are necessary based on his findings, while you're out. We've met several people who have had more than 2 surgeries. They come to Philippon after other doctors fail. I recommend getting a good doctor the first time.One last thing...this is physically demanding on the caretaker as well. My daughter has a CPM, ice machine, inflatable cuffs, rotational boots, and cannot move or attach herself to any them alone. It's 24 hour care, required moving heavy equipment and much bending. Make sure you hav 2 caretakers and that they can physically handle the work. I brought my housekeeper instead of my husband because he has a bad back. Good luck, and read thru all the postings before surgery - it helps to be prepared.

This X 10000000. Thank you for posting this, and I really appreciate the tips about aftercare. I can't express enough how important it is to get a skilled, qualified surgeon for THIS procedure. I have full confidence in Dr. Nho, as he trained with Dr. Philippon and was one of the few who traveled with him specifically for hip arthroscopy.

Imaging only gives doctors a general idea as to what is going on inside the hip. Like any surgery, many things aren't visible until they are inside; a trained surgeon will, of course, address what they find... and will also know when it's beyond needing a scope at all.

Having a trained Physical Therapist is also key. If you're not able to go to Vail (most of us aren't), find a PT who has dealt with several hip protocols, and ideally, one who has dealt with your doctor's post-op patients.

I'm 8 months out from my left side (labral tear and impingement) and 6 months out from my right side (impingement only). I have to say I feel great. I have moderate arthritis because the injuries are quite old ( ~8 years) so I hope these surgeries will slow down the progression of that. I can't say enough good things about my Surgeon Dr. Cara Beth Lee. She was very upfront and honest about what to expect for an outcome. She also was VERY patient with all my question allotting as much time as required to answer them. She was on the East Coast (Children's Hospital in Boston) for a 1 year stint and is now back in Seattle. Best of luck to you all.... it can get better.

Hello everyone! My name is Lena and I just had Orthoscopic hip surgery four days ago to repair my Torn labrum. They also Cleaned out a cyst that was growing in my bone Because of the tear and shaved some of my bone down that was rubbing when I walked. I have had pain for the past few years when I would sit down and cross my legs and then tried to get up and be really hard to walk for about a minute or two. Last year I started running and I did a few 5K's 10K's and one half marathon. This summer I was just walking down the street and all of a sudden I heard a pop and then I couldn't walk for a day or two the doctors did lots of tests and after a few months able to find the tear. I was really worried because the doctor told me that I might have a arthritis in my hip and that if I did I would not be able to run anymore but luckily after the surgery they did not find any arthritis. So yay!! So far I have only been able to walk to the bathroom with my crutches I have not gone downstairs yet but I think today I will try. I stopped taking my pain meds yesterday because they started making me feel more nauseous. The pain is not really that bad but I know I've just been in bed and the most i have done is walking to the bathroom so I'll have to see what it feels like once I start walking more. Today I'm going to try to go downstairs and see how that feels. I can't wait to start rehabilitation I really want to start exercising more again about 12 pounds since this all started. I'm really glad that someone started this forum because reading the stories really help me to get through my surgery because I was really afraid and not sure of what it would be like. So thank you everyone

My surgeon has the green light to do whatever he can while he is in there. Even though I have only met him once, I trust him based on the recommendations of my other Ortho docs and PT guys. I won't be able to do my rehab with his team because he is 1.5 hours away. However, my PT guy is fantastic. He actually figured out it was a labral tear and impingement before I had a scan. He pushed for me to see a hip Ortho locally to get a scan for an accurate diagnosis. He is young, but wicked smart. Surgeon will email post op protocol to PT guy, then they will remain in contact via email/phone. In the past, PT guy has been a great advocate for me. Surgeon is very open to working closely with someone "off team." Even though my surgery is still 57 days away, I have already booked a month of daily PT appts. PT guy is ready and waiting for my return. While it is weird to go in not knowing what will be done, I feel like I am in really good hands. These guys will take good care of me.

Hello everyone. I am a 24y.o male and I have been suffering from a sharp pain in my right groin/hip area for just over 12 months and a dull aching pain through the back of my hip down my leg. After X-rays, an MRI and arthrogram and an ultrasound, i have been told that i will need a hip arthscopy due to a labral tear in my right hip. I am in Brisbane, Australia. The surgeon i have just seen is Bill Donnelly and i am looking at surgeory in May 2013. I have read some of the posts on this forum and i have a lot of reservations about jumping into surgeory, so i have a few questions. 1. Has anyone has experience with Bill Donnelly? 2. Is there any alternatives to an arthroscopy surgeory that anyone is aware of? 3. WHat are some recommendations pre-op and post op. For instance, should i build up strength in my leg before surgeory, or not? What has worked for you? Any responses would be greatly appreciated thanks.

My surgeon is Allston Stubbs at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. He did a fellowship with Philippon in Colorado. I found it interesting that Ortho docs from both UNC and Duke recommended him instead of someone from their own hospital. My main Ortho doc said "I don't want anyone but him cutting on your hip." He is very protective of me because we have been thru so much over the years.

I had my surgery with Dr. Nho past Wed. The only thing that I am struggling with is sleeping in those boots on my back all night long. I woke up every night multiple times and finally switched to sleep on my belly. Any suggestions on getting good sleep w/o rotating the hip? Also, does anyone know any PTs in the River North area who has experience with this type of post-surgery rehab?

The first several nights were hard for me too. I put my bed attached to my sofa, so that I could use the bed/sofa combination as a recliner to give my back a bit of a break. Although they discourage sleeping on one's belly at this stage, I have to admit I have fallen asleep on my belly a few times. You can also try putting a pillow under one side of you, so that you are at least a bit turned on the side. It's hard, and every little bit of a different position helps.

I remember it well. But it will get better. I hope the others have other suggestions I did not think of...

For the PT, Allie is your trusted source. Ask her. She responds to emails very quickly.

Welcome Sabrina! Another Dr. Nho patient! I'm up for my first side on Friday with Dr. Nho, and I'm getting really nervous. Both hips take turns hurting, so I'm worried about how the non-operated side will cope with the load it needs to help heal the other hip. Ugh.

Sabrina, I would definitely email or call Allie. She is very helpful and usually gets back to you quickly.

Welcome to all the new people; flet237777 I have some thoughts for you, but I'm relying on my phone at the moment and it's no fun typing on this thing.

Originally posted by Running Mama of 6:Welcome Sabrina! Another Dr. Nho patient! I'm up for my first side on Friday with Dr. Nho, and I'm getting really nervous. Both hips take turns hurting, so I'm worried about how the non-operated side will cope with the load it needs to help heal the other hip. Ugh.

Sabrina, I would definitely email or call Allie. She is very helpful and usually gets back to you quickly.

Welcome to all the new people; flet237777 I have some thoughts for you, but I'm relying on my phone at the moment and it's no fun typing on this thing.

I hope your surgery goes smooth and recovery is easy! So close to the holidays you must be frantic with preparations. Wishing you well!

Originally posted by rrehyeoj:I'm 8 months out from my left side (labral tear and impingement) and 6 months out from my right side (impingement only). I have to say I feel great. I have moderate arthritis because the injuries are quite old ( ~8 years) so I hope these surgeries will slow down the progression of that. I can't say enough good things about my Surgeon Dr. Cara Beth Lee. She was very upfront and honest about what to expect for an outcome. She also was VERY patient with all my question allotting as much time as required to answer them. She was on the East Coast (Children's Hospital in Boston) for a 1 year stint and is now back in Seattle. Best of luck to you all.... it can get better.

Hello! I have moderate arthritis as well, did you get microfractures done? That seems to have a significant affect on recovery time, when to start PT. I chose this surgery as an alternate to THR. Thanks!

Day six post op. I was doing really well The past couple days but yesterday I went to target using my Crutches i wanted to go faster so I lifted my leg, the side where I had the hip surgery done and I think I might've hurt my hip more. I'm really worried now because I was really soar last night and today. Yesterday I talked to the surgeon and told him that I was doing really good and I wanted to know when I could stop using my crutches because I was able to put more pressure on the leg but he said I had to wait four weeks because not only did he sew my torn labrum but he also removed a Cyst in my bone and put bone grafting there because of the hole that was left in the bone. I hope I didn't mess anything up by using my crutches the wrong way

Originally posted by flet23777:Hello everyone. I am a 24y.o male and I have been suffering from a sharp pain in my right groin/hip area for just over 12 months and a dull aching pain through the back of my hip down my leg. After X-rays, an MRI and arthrogram and an ultrasound, i have been told that i will need a hip arthscopy due to a labral tear in my right hip. I am in Brisbane, Australia. The surgeon i have just seen is Bill Donnelly and i am looking at surgeory in May 2013. I have read some of the posts on this forum and i have a lot of reservations about jumping into surgeory, so i have a few questions. 1. Has anyone has experience with Bill Donnelly? 2. Is there any alternatives to an arthroscopy surgeory that anyone is aware of? 3. WHat are some recommendations pre-op and post op. For instance, should i build up strength in my leg before surgeory, or not? What has worked for you? Any responses would be greatly appreciated thanks.

flet23777, I can only answer your questions based on my experience, what I've read from others, what my doctors said, and some literature I've read and tried to make sense of. This diagnosis is certainly complicated in addition to being relatively new.

1) Sorry, I'm in the US, so I can't speak about doctors in Australia. Hopefully someone here can. There are a few face books group called "Best FAI Surgeons", "Understanding Hip Impingement" and "Hip Impingement Awareness". All three have international members, so perhaps someone there can give you some input.

2) In terms of alternatives: of course there are non-surgical treatments, and depending on how advanced your condition is, (12 months seems like a pretty long time), physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, modifying activities may offer you some pain relief. It depends on how limited you're willing to be. I stopped running as soon as I was in pain, and even given that, 4 months later I am in much more pain than I was originally, and am signed up for surgery this Friday. I have done every form of PT I can do, I've been taking anti-inflammatories and modifying activity, but any pain relief I got was temporary. I have no idea when it will flare again, and what I did to set it off... it comes whenever it feels like. To sum it up, there may be some temporary solutions, but the majority of young people end up getting the surgery so they can return to an active life.

3) Pre-op, build up strength... absolutely. Work on your core and the muscles that surround your hip joint. Piriformis, quads, glute med... psoas (make sure it's not tight), mild resistance bands walking sideways... there are many youtube videos that demonstrate these strengthening techniques. The stronger you are going into surgery should you choose it, the better. Pick a damn good surgeon, and pick a damn good physical therapist post-op. In this circumstance, post-op therapy is equally important as the surgeon. Recovery is slow and complicated, and it seems to be a roller coaster ride for a while. A good therapist is needed in order to know when to push you through a little discomfort without causing pain, and know when to back off when your hip isn't liking what you're doing to it.

Best of luck to you; this is the most complex and frustrating injury I've ever dealt with, and I haven't even had the surgery yet! Yowza.

Thanks Cris! I'm trying to have a little humor while I go through this. It's the only way I can be sane. I'll take lots of deep breaths throughout this whole thing. Hibiclens is in my shower waiting for tomorrow night... *jitters*

Teri, it sounds like you're in great hands; I wish you the best too! Who knew so many people are going through this all the time. Wow.

I had help at home for day 1 to 6 then was on own during the day. I used a wheelchair to get around the house and the crutches (no weightbearing 8 weeks same as you) the wheelchaar helped me be more independant, get things from room to room etc. Went ok, I did have "set up" help in the am/pm, prep food for me, refill my ice machine, do house chores, get me in the shower etc. Hope that info is of assitance to you.

Originally posted by Running Mama of 6:Welcome Sabrina! Another Dr. Nho patient! I'm up for my first side on Friday with Dr. Nho, and I'm getting really nervous. Both hips take turns hurting, so I'm worried about how the non-operated side will cope with the load it needs to help heal the other hip. Ugh.

Sabrina, I would definitely email or call Allie. She is very helpful and usually gets back to you quickly.

Welcome to all the new people; flet237777 I have some thoughts for you, but I'm relying on my phone at the moment and it's no fun typing on this thing.

I hope your surgery goes smooth and recovery is easy! So close to the holidays you must be frantic with preparations. Wishing you well!

Chris - Thanks for the tips. I did not realize that sleeping on your belly was not suggested. The PA also said that I can use the brace while sleeping instead of wearing the boots. I'll give it a shot tonight. Running Mama- I asked the PA. She mentioned athletico and I found two PTs who worked with Dr. Nho's patients before. Thanks!

Originally posted by flet23777:Hello everyone. I am a 24y.o male and I have been suffering from a sharp pain in my right groin/hip area for just over 12 months and a dull aching pain through the back of my hip down my leg. After X-rays, an MRI and arthrogram and an ultrasound, i have been told that i will need a hip arthscopy due to a labral tear in my right hip. I am in Brisbane, Australia. The surgeon i have just seen is Bill Donnelly and i am looking at surgeory in May 2013. I have read some of the posts on this forum and i have a lot of reservations about jumping into surgeory, so i have a few questions. 1. Has anyone has experience with Bill Donnelly? 2. Is there any alternatives to an arthroscopy surgeory that anyone is aware of? 3. WHat are some recommendations pre-op and post op. For instance, should i build up strength in my leg before surgeory, or not? What has worked for you? Any responses would be greatly appreciated thanks.

Get in touch with Steve Galloway, you'll find him on Linkedin, he's a physiotherapist at QPR football club, and before that was my physio following my arthroscopy. He's Australian, has had both hips done himself, and will be able to give you the names of a number of surgeons in Aus. From conversations I'd had with him in the past I recall him saying that in his opinion Melbourne surgeons were ahead of those in Sydney.

Cris, how long we're you sleeping in the boot? Did you sleep in the brace and with ice too? I'm a little confused about how to sleep, other than being on my back with my feet tied together.

As for the CPM, I'm assuming the PT a the hospital will tell me how to use it. Actually they should tell my husband because I'll be a bit groggy, haha.

It's all getting real now. Cris, I feel horribly embarrassed asking you this, but are you a guy or a gal? I think another member referred to you as a guy, but this thread is so long I lose track. Forgive me for the dumb question.

My daughter had surgery a week ago with Philippon. She is miserable only because she is unable to sleep at night. She must wear the boots for 17 days, use CPM for 4 weeks. Calf pumps for 4 weeks and crutches and brace for 21 days. She has been off pain meds for 3 days and only has some pain from 4-7 am. (Tylenol and icing helps). I assume the pain is from stiffening at night as she's fine during the day. Any suggestions for sleeping would be most helpful. One of the nurses said she could try sleeping on her side with a pillow between her legs and something to keep her from rolling, but that bothered her hip. If only she could sleep.....

They should give you an after-surgery care package which includes a longish document with many instructions.

Here are some highlights of what I got: - 2 hours of CPM a day, every day you increase the angle a bit. My husband figured this out for me, but it is not too hard, is just that you might be a little out of it for a few days. I sure was.- Think rotisserie chicken. During the day, it's best to chance position every 30 minutes: on your belly, on your back, reclined, repeat. You can try slight variations- Night, no sleeping on belly.- I iced a ton. I got a machine that was cycling cold and pressure and was cooling on its own. I used it all night and at the beginning, all of the time I was not on the CPM.- Your relationship with the boot will be longer than you hope. I had it for six weeks, every night. After 4-5 weeks, I also put the brace on at night, and took the boot out when I could no longer stand it during the night. Then, I would sleep on my side, with a big pillow between my legs to keep the hips even, and the brace on. This is really not recommended for the first 4-5 weeks and you should ask your PT about it. However, you really reach a point it's hard to sleep. I know Megan mostly slept with the brace, rather than the boot. You ask the surgeon and then you do your very best.

I was waiting till Saturday to give you the full running update for the week, but it sounds like you could use a little cheering up now... So here is a preview:

It was cold, dark and rainy, so I went on the treadmill today. Yes, I feel ashamed and I thought of you. I wondered if you would have been out, in the dark, like that. Anyway, it stopped raining as soon as I got on the 'mill.

Warm up walk, 2.5 minutes running, 2.5 minutes walking, for six times. Cool down walk. Total running time: 15 minutes. It was good.

momofya, the sleeping was hard for me too. Some belly sleep saved me. I don't really have lots of suggestions. After a few days I sort of got used to it, and I was so tired I managed to sleep more, but not well. If it is really bad, I would ask the surgeon for temporary help with a sleeping pill.